Target-trap.



PATENTED DB0. 5, 1905.

I. MASEL.

TARGET TRAP. APPILIOATION FILED 0018, 1904. RENEW D 001223, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

INVENTOR.

THEO- MASEL.

ATTY's.

PATENTED DEC. 5, 1905.

T. MASEL. TARGET TRAP. APPLICATION EILED 001e, 1904. RENEWED OUT. 23.1905.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

m T N E v M ATTEST.

L E m o M Y. B

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE MASEL, OF ALTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO'HOYT METAL COMPANY, OFST. LOUIs, MIssOuEI, A CORPORATION.

TARGET-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

Application filed October 8, 1904:. Renewed October 23, 1905- Serial No.284,037.

. T ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE IVIAsEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Alton, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Target-Traps, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

/ My invention relates to improvements in that class of traps used forthrowing disk targets or clay pigeons, the improvements including amainspring having in combination therewith a flexible pull member foruse in placing said spring under tension and a.

flexible connection between said spring and pull member leading to thelatch that controls the throw-arm of the trap.

The improvements also include a novel construction of turn-table andmeans for retaining said table in set positions.

The improvements also include a novel construction of latch for the trapthrow-arm.

The invention also relates to novel means for overcoming rebound of thethrow-arm after a target has been discharged therefrom.

Figure I is a top or plan view of my target-trap. Fig. II is a sideelevation of the trap. Fig. III is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe trap with parts shown in side elevation. Fig. IV is an enlarged sideelevation of portions of the trap at the location of the throw-armlatch. Fig. V is an en larged vertical cross-section taken on line V V,Fig. II. Fig. VI is a top or plan view of the target-carrier. Fig. VIIis a cross-section taken on line VII VII, Fig. VI.

1 designates the base of my trap, which is adapted to be secured to asuitable foundation A, on which it is mounted, as seen in Figs. II andIII. This base is open at the top, and beneath its top rim 2 is atapering annular seat 3. At the exterior of the rim 2 is an annular seat4.

5 designates a turn-table having a tubular -neck 6. This turn-tablesurmounts the base 1 and is provided with an annular depending flange 7,that occupies the exterior seat 4 of said base.

8 is a friction-disk having an annular tapering perimeter 9, that restsagainst the interior tapering seat of the base-rim 2. (See Figs. III andV.) This friction-disk is upheld by bolts 10, which pass through thedisk and the turn-table 5 and are provided with nuts 11, which confinesprings 12, surrounding the bolts.

By the described construction the turn-table 5 is movably held to thebase 1 to permit of its being rotated on the base-rim, the frictionalengagement of the disk 8 against the interior seat of the base-rim beingmade sufficient, due to the tightening of the nuts on the bolts 10, toprevent accidental movement of the turn-table, but insufiicient toprohibit rotation of the turn-table when force is applied to rotate it.The springs 12 assist in the accomplishment of the results mentioned. Inthe center of the friction-disk 8 is an aperture 8, that coincides withthe opening in the turn-table neck 6.

II designates a beam that supports the carrier throw-arm of the trap.This beam has at its rear end a handle-arm 15 and at its forward end anarm 16. The beam 14: is pivoted at 17 to the turn-table neck 6, so thatit may be oscillated vertically, and the beam is held in a fixedposition by aclamp-bolt 18, passing through the turn-table neck, and afork 19 depending from said beam. Provision is thereby made for verticaladjustment of the throwarm-supporting beam to vary its inclination inorder that the targets discharged from the trap may be thrown ininclinations of varying degrees.

20 designates the throw-arm of the trap, which is carried by a shaft 21,that passes vertically through the beam 1 1 and projects both beneathsaid beam and above said throw-arm. The carrier which receives thetargets and is fitted to the free end of the throw-arm 20 consists of amain jaw 22, connected to the throwarm by a pivot-bolt 23, and a movablejaw 24, that is pivoted to the main jaw and controlled by a spring 25.The carrier is yieldingly held to limit the degree of its oscillation onthe pivot-bolt 23 by a spring 26, which is connected to the main jaw ofthe carrier and the upper end of the vertical shaft 21, by which thethrow-arm is carried.

No invention per se is herein claimed for the target-carrier.

27 designates a disk fixed to the lower end of the vertical shaft 21 andprovided at its upper side with teeth 28. (See Fig. I.) The teeth ofthis disk are engaged by a spring-bolt 29, seated in the beam 14adjacent to the disk, as seen in Fig. III.

30 is a stud carried by the toothed disk 27 and positioned eccentric tothe axis of said disk, as seen in Figs. II and III. This stud isconnected to the outer end of the arm 16 by a light spring 31.

32 designates a latch by which the throwarm 20 is retained from movementprevious to its being thrown, this latch being of U shape and having itsarms arranged to straddle the beam 14, to which they are pivotallyconnected by a bolt 33, passing transversely through said beam. Oneofthe arms of the latch is provided with a finger 34, (see Figs. I andIV,) that is adapted to project upwardly beyond the upper face of thebeam 14 to serve as a stop for the throw-arm 20. The latch swingsbeneath the beam 14, and its length is greater than the width of saidbeam in order that said latch may partake of longitudinal movement whenthe throw-arm 20 strikes against the stop-finger 34. To prevent jarunder the sudden impact of the throw-arm against said stop-finger, Iplace on the pivotbolt 33 of the latch a cushion-spring 35, lo-

cated at the side of the beam 14 opposite tothat at which thestop-finger 34 is located. The stop-finger of the latch'32 is normallyupheld above the plane of the beam 14 by a spring 36, that connects saidlatch to said beam. (See Figs. II and IV.) Depending from the latch 32at its forward side is a hook 37.

38 designates the mainspring of my trap, the forward end of which isconnected to the stud 30 of the toothed disk 27. This mainspring hasconnected to its rear end a pullchain 39, the chain being united to thespring at a point remote from its foremost end to provide a terminalseries of chain-links 4O beyond the point of connection of the chain tothe mainspring. These terminal links are connected to the latch 32 byslipping one of them onto the hook 37 of said latch in a manner topermit of slack being present in said series of terminal links when themainspring is devoid of tension.

41 is a sheave journaled in the turn-table neck 6, and 42 is a sheavejournaled in bracketarms 43, located interior of the base 1, on whichthe turn-table 5 rests. The pull-chain '39 passes over the sheave 41 anddownwardly through the central opening 8' in the friction disk 8, thencebeneath the sheave 42, from which it extends to any desirable point andto which power is to be applied, either manually or otherwise, to placethe mainspring 38 under tension and store power therein, due to theexpansion of the spring by drawing upon said pull-chain.

When in the practical use of my trap atarget is to be thrown, thethrow-arm 2O occupies the position illustrated in full lines, Figs. I toIV, inclusive, and the mainspring 38 is in relaxed condition. At thistime the throwarm is prevented from swinging in a forward direction, dueto the presence of the stop-finger 34 of the latch 32 alongsideof thethrowarm. A target having been placed in the throw-arm carrier, theoperator who manipulates the pull-chain 39 exerts strain thereupon toexpand the mainspring 38, and the pull upon the chain is continued untilthe slack terminal links 40 of the chain are drawn taut and exert a pullupon the latch 32 to swing the stop finger 34 downwardly away from thethrow-arm. The mainspring being now under tension and the throw-armreleased, the spring draws upon the stud 30 and rotates the toothed disk27, with the result that the'throwarm is swung into thetarget-discharging position and the target thrown. Immediately upon thethrow-arm reaching its discharging position the spring-bolt 29 engagesthe tooth 28 of the disk 27 nearest to it to prevent rebound of thethrow-arm, and as a consequence said arm will remain in its outstretchedcondition until the mainspring is relaxed by slackening the pull-chain39. As soon as the mainspring is relaxed the spring 31 acts to exertstrain upon the stud 30 of the disk 27 and draw said stud forwardly toits normal position, with the result that the throw-arm is carriedaround to complete its rotation and again becomestationary alongside ofthe latchlinger 34, which has been elevated, due to the action of thespring 36 on the latch.

I lay particular stress upon the use of a pull-chain instead of anyother flexible pull member for the mainspring 38 of my trap, for thereason that a chain may be readily attached to the mainspring at anydesired point by slipping one of its links onto the loop at the end ofthe spring to afli'ord a greater or diminished length of the series ofslack terminal links 40, connected to the throw-arm latch, or the amountof slack in the series of terminal links may be altered by connectingany desired link thereof to the latch. It is therefore made possible toreadily provide for a considerable expansion of the mainspring beforethelatch is released, and thereby secure a stronger throw of thethrow-arm, or, inversely, the degree of expansion of the springsufficient to release the latch may be lessened by shortening theconnection between the latch and the pull-chain, so that the throw-armwill be operated with less force.

I claim as my invention 1. In a target-trap, the combination of aswingingly-mounted throw-arm, a support for said arm, a mainspring forimparting movement to said throw-arm, a latch with which said throw-armengages, and a pull-chain having connection with said spring, said chainhaving a series of terminal links extending therefrom into directconnection with said latch, substantially as set forth.

2. In a target-trap, the combination of a swinging throw-arm, a supportfor said throwand a second spring having connection with said diskfor'imparting continued movement to said throw-arm after said mainspringis relaxed, substantially as set forth.

3. In a target-trap, the combination of a base, a turn-table surmountingsaid base, a friction-disk within said base beneath said turn-tableadapted to bear against said base, and bolts connecting said turn-tableand friction-disk, substantially as set forth.

4. In a target-trap, the combination of a base having a tapering seatinterior thereof, a turn-table rotatably mounted on said base, i a disklocated within said base and having a tapering perimeter seating againstsaid tapering seat, bolts passing vertically through said disk andturn-table and provided with nuts, and springs surrounding said bolts,substantially as set forth.

5. In a target-trap, the combination of a throw-arm support, aswingingly-mounted throw-arm journaled to said support, means foroperating said throw-arm, a U shaped latch straddling said throw-armsupport to be engaged by said throw-arm, a pivot-bolt passing throughthe arms of said latch and said support, and a cushion-springsurrounding said pivot-bolt and positioned between one of the latch-armsand said support, substantially as set forth.

THEODORE MASEL.

In presence of NELLIE V. ALEXANDER, BLANOHE HOGAN.

